Mixed reactions have continued to trail President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s first anniversary, with criticism and praise from various Nigerians. Mr Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president on May 29, 2023. Some residents of Okitipupa in Ondo State, who spoke with journalists on Monday, commended Mr Tinubu for his efforts at fixing the nation’s economy, while others said he had failed Nigerians, who had high expectations from him. While calling on Mr Tinubu to search for competent hands, the respondents urged him to rejig his cabinet for optimal performance. Morenike Alaka, a former chairman of Okitipupa Local Government, said Mr Tinubu was not the genesis of Nigeria’s current economic woes, saying it was an inherited problem. Ms Alaka noted that it was impossible to fix the country’s current situation without implementing some policies that are that would be unfavourable to Nigerians in the short term but beneficial in the long term.
“We just need to cooperate and continue to pray for this government, and I can assure you that what we are facing right now are just measures that are hard now but will benefit us in the long run,” she said. Niyi Adesokan, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Okitipupa Local Government Chapter, also said Mr Tinubu was only trying to fix the economy, adding that most of the problems being experienced “are only teething problems which shall fade out very soon.” He added that the immediate past government destroyed so many things, “especially by borrowing, which is literally having negative effects on the country and her currency. “On the issue of local government autonomy, Mr Tinubu has shown commitment to putting this in place in every local government to ensure development at the grassroots level. Once the autonomy is given, you will see vast development from the grassroots,” he said. However, Dipo Akomolafe, a former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, said: “The first year of Tinubu’s administration has been a challenging one for individuals and the nation at large.” Mr Akomolafe, who noted that the education sector was also adversely affected, said the health and welfare of staff of tertiary institutions stagnated due to inadequate budgetary allocation, which, according to him, is hampering them from performing their core research roles.
Larry Ogunmusire, a Peoples Democratic Party stalwart, described Mr Tinubu’s one-year administration as challenging and noted that his economic policies caused Nigerians more pain. He added that the power and defence sectors were badly hit as many Nigerians have not been enjoying eight hours of electricity in the last year, while many can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed for fear of being kidnapped. “I think he needs to change his economic policies and rejig his cabinet, replacing non-performing ministers with people of good track records and high profiles who can help drive the economy,” Mr Ogunmusire said. Temidayo Temola, chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), OAUSTECH Chapter, said Mr Tinubu’s government has not renewed Nigerians’ hope, as encapsulated in his campaign manifesto. He said that in the last year, the astronomical increase in prices of goods and services is frustrating and killing, “as many of the things the masses could afford are no longer affordable. In the education sector, nothing has significantly improved as non-payment of the withheld salaries of the university staff has remained a forlorn hope. The president and his team have to sit right and find a lasting solution to the myriad of problems ranging from food, exchange rate, security, power, and agriculture, among others,” Mr Temola said. NAN
